Dental Ceramics

‘Tooth look-alikes’

SHABNA
Dr MOYIN
Vipul Srivastava
What are Ceramics?
 Ceramics

‘Keramos’ – Ceramic

An earthy material usually of a silicate nature

and may be defined as “a combination of one or
more metals with a non- metallic element,
usually oxygen”. (Gilman, 1967)
 DEFINED AS
It is a product manufactured by the action of
heat on earthern materials in which silicon and
silicates predominate..(vimal k sikri)

Inorganic compounds with non metallic

properties typically consisting of oxygen or one
or more semimetalic elements like aluminium
,potassium,magnesium, to produce entire or a
part of ceramic based dental
prosthesis.(anusavice).
 ALSO DEFINED AS
Ceramics can be defined as an inorganic
compound with non metallic properties typically
composed of metallic ( or semi mettalic) and
nonmetallic elements.(dr ramya raghu)
 Dental Ceramics
Consist of silicate, glass and oxide ceramics

An inorganic compound with non-metallic

properties typically consisting of oxygen and one
or more metallic or semi-metallic elements (e.g.
Al, Ca, Li, Mg, K, Si, Na, Sn, Ti and Zr) that is
formulated to produce the whole or part of a
ceramic based prosthesis.
» Philips (11th Ed.)
History of Dental Ceramics
1000 – Porcelain was developed in China
1728-pierre fauchard
1774 – Alexis Duchateau-made the first porcelain
denture.
1789 – Nicolas de Chemant
1791-porcelain for bridgework.
1808 – Giuseppangelo Fonzi -shades
1817 – Planteau
1822 – Peale
1825 – S7tockton
1903-porcelian inlays and jacket crowns using platinum
foil by charles land.
1905-the first electric porcelain was developed.
 Philips
Use or indications
Anterior crowns
Posterior crowns
Veneers
Post and Cores
FPDs
Stain ceramic
Glaze ceramic
Denture teeth
Dental ceramics classified
based on,
Fusion temp

Applications

Fabrication techniques

crystalline phase
Classification of dental
ceramics
According to the fusion temperature…
high fusing ceramics->1300oC
medium fusing ceramics-1101 oc-1300 oc
low fusing ceramics-850 oc -1100 oc
ultra low fusing ceramics -<850 oc
 According to the
applications
3 major applications
• as veneers over metal crowns and fixed
partial dentures

All ceramic crowns ,inlays ,onlays, and veneers.

Ceramic denture teeth.

According to the fabrication
technique
» Sintered-eg;metal ceramics.
.
» Cast-castable ceramics-dicor

» Heat pressed-eg ips empress

» Slip cast eg.inceram

» Machined eg.cerec vitablocks –mark 1

and 11.
 ;
Crystalline phase;
alumina based eg-optec hsp
Feldspar based eg-conventional ceramics.
leucite based
: Aluminum Oxides (Alumina)
Natural alumina is known as sapphire or ruby
 Bioactive Ceramics: Glass
Ceramics
Composition includes SiO2, CaO and Na2O
Bioactivity depends on the relative amounts of
SiO2, CaO and Na2O
Cannot be used for load bearing applications
Ideal as bone cement filler and coating due to its
biological activity
 Composition of dental
ceramics
Glassy materials
Vitrification…vitreous
Matrix of dental porcelien
Glass formers
Oxides .
Composition
 Basically,
High fusing ceramics –3 major ingredients
Feldspar
kaolin
Quartz
 Feldspathic Porcelains
A vitreous ceramic based on silica and potash feldspar
(K2O·Al2O3·6SiO2) or soda feldspar
(Na2O·Al2O3·6SiO2).
Silicate ceramics

Silicate Glass
 Manufacture

Fritting – the combination of blending, melting

and quenching the glass components.

Frit – resultant product after fritting.

 Feldspar

Primary constituent

Natural feldspar
Undergo incongruent melting –11500C-15300C
Leucite .
 kaolin
4-5%

When mixed with water,-sticky mass

adheres to the framework of quartz

 quartz
I3-14%,strengthener
Translucency.
FRAMEWORK.
Fluxes and Glass Modifiers

Na, K or Ca oxide
Interrupt silica tetrahedra
Lower fusion temperature
Increase flow
Increase thermal expansion
Remove impurities
Excess :
• Reduced chemical
durability
• Devitrification on
overheating
 Colouring pigments

Metallic oxides

‘Colour frits’

• Titanium oxide → Yellow

- Brown Shade
• Indium → Yellow / Ivory
• Iron oxide / Nickel oxide
→ Brown
• Cobalt salt → Blue
Stains and color modifiers
Low fusing coloured porcelain

Other additives
Boric oxide
Lithium oxide
Magnesium oxide
 Opacifying agents
zirconium; named from the Arabic,
zargun = gold colour
Opacifying agents
To mask oxide layer
Metal oxide 8-15% : ZrO, CeO, TiO, SnO

• .
 Flourencing agents
Uranium

radiation hazards .
 Glazes
To seal the open pores

Self-glaze or Auto-glaze
High temperature

Add-on glaze
Higher glass modifiers
Lower temperature
Less durable
Disadvantages
low chemical durability
difficult to apply.
Too high temps –increased flow
glassy and appears greenish hue
 Designing of the dental
porcelein
Direct exposure to high tensile stress
stress concentration at sharp line angles and
point angles to be avoided
Full coverage porcelein jacket crown to be
avoided
Platinum foil when used as a substrate-folds
appear –notch
occlusion
General Properties

Including Advantages and

Disadvantages
 Advantages
Biocompatibility
Esthetics
Colour and Translucency
Long term colour stability
Durability
Wear resistant
No Solubility
Ability to be formed into precise shapes
 Disadvantages
Brittle
High shrinkage of conventional porcelains
Technique sensitive
Specialized training required
Costly equipment
More tooth reduction
Attrition of opposing tooth
Difficult to repair
Expensive
 Good Properties
Translucency like enamel (Refractive index – 1.52-1.54)

High Stiffness (Elastic modulus – 10 x 106 psi)

Low thermal conductivity (0.0050˚C/cm)

Low electrical conductivity

High melting point

Low solubility
 Strength
Compressive strength
350-550 MPa

Tensile strength
20-60 MPa

Brittle
Critical strain – 0.1%

Low fracture toughness

 Bad Properties

Very low tensile strength

Low fracture toughness

Extremely sensitive to the

presence of surface
microcracks.

Difficult to machine
(KNH 460)
Coefficient of thermal expansion
Feldspathic porcelains
Dependent on leucite content

Metal ceramics – 13.5-15.5 ppm/˚C

All ceramics – 5.5-7.5 ppm/˚C

Pressed Leucite systems – 16 ppm/˚C

Processing

Condensation
Firing
Glazing
Compaction/Condensation
The process of packing the particles together and of
removing the liquid binder is known as condensation.

The main driving force involved in condensing dental

porcelain is surface tension.

Liquid
Distilled water
Propylene glycol
Alcohol
Special liquid
 Aim of condensation
Pack the particles as close as possible
 Two important factors

Size and shape of the powder particles

Gap grading system.
Shape.
Effect of surface tension
 Methods

Wet brush technique/

Brush additive
technique
Brush application
method
Vibration
Spatulation
Whipping
Mechanical
 Vibration method
wet porcelien mix is applied with a
spatula –vibrated-settle.
.
Causes slumping of the mass.
 Spatulation method
Wet porcelein is smoothed –spatula
Brings closer

Absorbed with a tissue.

 Dry brush technique
Dry powder on wet surface.

Water withdrawn –capillary action-dry area-

Pulled closer together.

 Whipping method
Large brush with –dusting action over wet
porcelein

Water –surface

any coarse particles is also removed.

 Combination method
Vibration and whipping methods
 Firing procedures
During firing,
loss of water by warming the mix.
Prevents steam –voids or fractures.

In the furnace
.
Both the combined and free water is lost

at 480 0c.
Second change occurs
rise in temp - by sintering.

Once mass is formed – decrease in volume-

firing shrinkage
.
Third change occurs

Glazing-9550C-10650C

Glossy surface

Slow cooling

Avoid cracking and crazing

Layers